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COMMENTARY / World
Feb 26, 2015

Belling the nuclear wildcat

The only guarantee of zero nuclear weapons risk — five years after U.S. President Barack Obama's stirring speech outlining his dream of nuclear disarmament — is to move to zero nuclear weapons possession by a carefully managed process.
WORLD
Feb 26, 2015

Iran smuggles $1 billion in cash through Dubai, Turkey to dodge sanctions

At least $1 billion in cash has been smuggled into Iran as it seeks to avoid Western sanctions, a bigger figure than previously reported, Iranian officials and Western intelligence and diplomatic sources say.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Feb 26, 2015

Beijing drops U.S. tech brands from state procurement list

China has dropped some of the world's leading technology brands from its approved state purchase lists, while approving thousands more locally made products, in what some say is a response to revelations of widespread Western cybersurveillance.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 26, 2015

Donald Trump serious about 2016 presidential run, Washington Post says

Businessman Donald Trump is ramping up efforts for a 2016 presidential run, adding to a growing pool of potential Republican candidates, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 25, 2015

Japan's Academy Prizes — the fix is in?

Comedian, actor and director Takeshi Kitano had some scathing things to say about the Japanese film industry at last year's Tokyo International Film Festival, where he was given a career achievement award. One target he singled out was the Japan Academy Prizes — the local equivalent of the Oscars —...
CULTURE / Stage
Feb 25, 2015

Unique exhibition reveals some K-Ballet gems and pure Kumakawa gold

"Looking at my last 15 years' work, I see it as a series of excitements," Tetsuya Kumakawa told The Japan Times.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Feb 25, 2015

Sony taps Tom Rothman of 'Titanic' fame to head movie studio

Sony Pictures Entertainment has named veteran film executive Tom Rothman, a force behind all-time top-grossing blockbusters "Titanic" and "Avatar," to head its movie studio in a shuffle prompted by the fallout from the recent cyberattack.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media
Feb 25, 2015

Under Abe's reign, media self-censorship in Japan is rising

Worries are growing in Japan about a trend toward media self-censorship as journalists and experts say news organizations are toning down criticism of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government for fear of sparking ire and losing access to sources.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Feb 25, 2015

Obama vetoes Republican attempt to force Keystone pipeline approval

President Barack Obama issued his third veto Tuesday to reject legislation that would allow construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, escalating a battle over the project with Republicans in Congress.
EDITORIALS
Feb 24, 2015

Labor law needs sharper teeth

The labor ministry should devise more effective measures to be taken against 'black companies' and more strictly enforce existing labor laws to halt abusive labor practices.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 24, 2015

Panel proposes cutting solar tariff by as much as 16%

The government is considering reducing incentives for developers of solar power projects by as much as 16 percent to reflect lower operating and maintenance costs.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 24, 2015

Hitachi agrees to buy two Finmeccanica rail businesses

Hitachi Ltd. is set to buy Finmeccanica SpA's rail business and a signals affiliate in its largest ever overseas acquisition as it seeks growth abroad.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Feb 23, 2015

Pena alone can't lift Rakuten's power profile

If the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles seal the deal with Wily Mo Pena, as reported on Monday by Daily Sports Online, it will help the Eagles avoid taking a step back in the power department, but it won't solve all the team's problems.
EDITORIALS
Feb 23, 2015

Yemen's disintegration

Sustained chaos in Yemen could allow violent groups such as the Islamic State and al-Qaida to use the country as a base for operations elsewhere.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 23, 2015

Meet the man who helped Sony get its game back

"How many people came for video games?" asks a keynote presenter at Sony Corp.'s PlayStation bash in Las Vegas last December. The crowd roars. "And how many came to give Shu Yoshida a hug?" The roar gets even louder.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Feb 23, 2015

'Abenomics' divides Japan's stocks as small shares left behind

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's plan to revive the nation's economy is leaving small companies behind.
BUSINESS / Markets
Feb 23, 2015

Blackstone draws Tokyo junk investors amid warnings of froth

Blackstone Group LP filled a Tokyo ballroom earlier this month with locals seeking riskier U.S. loans as regulators in New York try and avert a credit bubble.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Feb 23, 2015

'Timbuktu' director wants more cinema from West Africa

The Oscar nomination of "Timbuktu," a film about the occupation of the Malian desert town by al-Qaida-linked Islamists in 2012, should not mask the lack of established cinema from West Africa, its director said.
EDITORIALS
Feb 22, 2015

Nuclear waste disposal problem

Even as the Abe administration pushes for the reactivation of idled nuclear power reactors once they're declared safe, it has yet to address the question of how Japan will dispose of highly radioactive nuclear waste so as not to endanger future generations.
Japan Times
JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Feb 22, 2015

Kyoto's tourism boom spells war for luxury hotel chains

Kyoto's recent record-setting tourism boom has sparked a mini-"hotel war," with some of the world's best-known luxury inn chains opening branches in the ancient capital, as its international popularity as a travel destination spreads even further.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Feb 22, 2015

Sydney siege report signals tighter immigration curbs

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott foreshadowed tighter immigration controls on Sunday when he released the first report into a siege last December in Sydney's Lindt cafe, in which two hostages and the gunman were killed.

Longform

It's back to the classroom for some residents as municipal governments across the country conduct lessons to learn how to use new technologies.
Can aging Japan go digital without leaving anyone behind?